Department for Education

Refugees: Children in Care

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the answer given by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 25 January (HL Deb, cols 665–6), what assessment they have made of the report in the Independent, on 17 April 2016, of at least 239 refugee children in the UK having disappeared from care facilities in the UK, and the report by ECPAT UK Heading back to harm: A study on trafficked and unaccompanied children going missing from care in the UK, published in November 2016, claiming that from September 2014 to September 2015, 593 unaccompanied asylum-seeking children went missing from care at least once.

Lord Nash: The Government has a comprehensive framework for safeguarding children, including unaccompanied asylum seeking and refugee children. In light of the recent increase in arrivals of refugee children into the UK, we have been working with local authorities, non-government organisations and other public bodies to make sure that looked after migrant children receive the immediate support they need. This support has included making sure local authorities are aware of the heightened risk that they may go missing due to being trafficked. We are also funding the Refugee Council and ECPAT to deliver training for foster carers and support workers of unaccompanied migrant children, who may be at risk of trafficking, to ensure they can also offer the appropriate support to the children in their care. On 1 November we announced through a written ministerial statement our plans to publish a strategy, by 1 May 2017, for the safeguarding of unaccompanied asylum seeking and refugee children in England. In developing this strategy, we will consult local authorities to identify any further action that might be taken to prevent these children going missing.

School Milk

Lord Lexden: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the answers by Lord Nash on 25 January (HL Deb, cols 662–3), what guidance has been provided to primary and secondary schools to ensure compliance with the milk requirements of the standards for school food in England, published on 9 September 2016; and how schools are required to demonstrate that they have complied with those requirements.

Lord Nash: Departmental advice on the School Food Standards, which includes the requirements for milk, is attached and available on Gov.uk. A summary of the standards and a practical guide are available from the School Food Plan website. Governing boards are legally responsible for meeting the School Food Standards.From previous surveys of compliance against the previous standards, we are confident that almost all schools are following the new standards appropriately.



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Asylum: Children

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the strategy for safeguarding unaccompanied asylum-seeking and refugee children announced on 1 November 2016 will include (1) the provision of independent guardians for all unaccompanied children in the UK, and (2) a commitment to continue to fund local authorities which support unaccompanied children at the same, or higher, rate as they currently receive.

Lord Nash: The safeguarding strategy for unaccompanied asylum seeking and refugee children will be published by 1 May 2017. It will set out further detail on how these children should be safeguarded and have their welfare promoted. In developing the strategy, the Government has committed to review the information currently provided to asylum seeking and refugee children about their rights, their current circumstances, and the role of local authorities in caring for them. We have also said that we will regularly review the funding provided to support and care for unaccompanied asylum seeking and refugee children, working closely with the Local Government Association and local authorities.

Literacy

Baroness Rebuck: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what research they have undertaken to better understand the impact on literacy levels of initiatives undertaken by voluntary sector organisations; and how they intend to ensure that funding is targeted where it will be most effective.

Lord Nash: The Education Endowment Foundation (EEF), which was set up in 2011 through a £125 million grant from the Government, received £10 million from the Department in 2012 specifically to fund and evaluate 24 projects focused on interventions to improve the literacy of pupils who do not achieve the expected standard in English at the end of primary school. To date, the EEF has published evaluation reports on 26 literacy-related projects. Of these, 11 involved voluntary sector organisations. Details of all of these projects and the individual evaluation reports are published on the EEF website at: https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/school-themes/literacy. The findings from evaluations of these and other EEF funded projects are incorporated into the EEF’s teaching and learning toolkit. This provides school leaders and teachers with an accessible summary of evidence from robust research studies on the impact and cost effectiveness of a range of educational interventions. This information can be used by voluntary sector organisations to inform their own approaches. The toolkit is published on the EEF website.

Asylum: Children

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the written ministerial statement by the Minister of State for Vulnerable Children and Families, Mr Edward Timpson, on 1 November 2016 concerning a safeguarding strategy for unaccompanied asylum-seeking and refugee children (HCWS232), what that strategy will contain; and when it will be published.

Lord Nash: The safeguarding strategy for unaccompanied asylum seeking and refugee children will be published by 1 May 2017.The strategy will set out how we will continue to support local authorities and other agencies to care for these young people, through increasing placement capacity, encouraging the use of supported lodgings, addressing additional training needs and revising statutory guidance on how to support and care for these children. In developing the strategy, we will also evaluate procedures for the safe transfer of children from Europe, identify further action to prevent these children going missing, review information provided to these children about their rights, and review the funding provided to local authorities to assist them in supporting and caring for these children. The strategy will cover not only unaccompanied children who will become looked after, but also children who are seeking to be reunited with family.

Pay

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of claims that UK professionals from working-class backgrounds are paid almost £7,000 less on average each year than those from wealthier families.

Lord Nash: We recognise that all too often family background determines success in later life, even when in a good job. We are determined that education should play a central role in reversing that by ensuring all young people have access to the right knowledge and skills, high quality, timely advice, and opportunities for challenging, life-shaping experiences. Employers also need to do more to attract and draw out the talents of employees from all backgrounds.

Private Education: Insolvency

Lord Storey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what mechanisms are in place to support and safeguard a student if the private college they attend goes into liquidation.

Viscount Younger of Leckie: Private providers of higher education must meet robust financial sustainability standards in order to be designated for student support. Providers that have not been trading for three years must submit a plan to ensure that students can achieve their academic outcomes if they are unable to fully deliver their course.In cases of significant financial failure where a private provider goes into administration, the department may grant temporary designation to the new owners to protect the student interest and to allow students to complete their studies.The UK quality code for higher education sets out the responsibility of degree awarding bodies when providers delivering their courses become insolvent, cease trading or the agreement is terminated. Degree awarding bodies ensure that adequate contingency plans are in place against these possibilities, but where they occur, a range of solutions may be possible for ensuring that students who wish to complete their course can do so.The Higher Education and Research Bill will ensure that in future the Office for Students (OfS) has the necessary powers to require student protection plans are in place for all approved and approved (fee cap) providers, and to intervene if there are signs that quality in any HE institution is failing. The OfS will take a ‘risk based’ approach to student protection, ensuring that the level of protection required in the plan is proportionate to each provider. It is intended that the OfS will monitor the financial health of institutions, alongside other potential ‘triggers’, and will require student protection measures to be implemented whenever there is a risk to student’s continuity of study. We expect these student protection plans to be available to all students, and to set out the protections students can expect if a course closes, or in the rare instance where an institution decides to exit the market.

Boarding Schools: Disadvantaged

Lord Lexden: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the progress of the scheme to provide vulnerable children with free places in state and independent boarding schools.

Lord Nash: As reported by the media, Buttle UK announced on Friday 3 February that they have had to cancel their research project, which was aiming to measure the educational and well-being outcomes of using boarding, due to lack of referrals from local authorities. However, we continue to believe that boarding can have great benefits for the right children, and want to see more vulnerable and disadvantaged children able to take advantage of the high quality provision that boarding schools provide. We will continue to work with the sector to encourage more local authorities to consider boarding as an alternative where it is right for the child.

Ministry of Defence

Reserve Forces: Health Services

Lord Touhig: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how they are encouraging the retention and motivation of Armed Forces reserve medical professionals.

Earl Howe: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) recognises the pivotal contribution that Reserve medical professionals make to the Defence Medical Services (DMS) and we are doing a number of things to ensure their recruitment, retention and motivation. It is estimated that over 50 per cent of DMS Reserves specialists are recruited by their peers. A financial incentive is now available to encourage every DMS Reservist to be a recruiter and for them to support their peers through to the completion of Phase 1 training. A 'Golden Hello' payment is also being proposed for Reserve Medical Officers, Dental Officers and nurses/Allied Healthcare Professionals, the value and eligibility criteria of which is currently being considered by the single Services. Concerning retention, the MOD is determined to ensure that Reserve medical professionals feel valued and have the opportunity to take full advantage of the offer to them. Engagement with employers is critical to retention and our dialogue with several organisations has led to standardised HR policies across the country on the employment and use of Reserves. This is reflected in the fact that 36 NHS Trusts have received the MOD's Employers Recognition Award. The MOD is able to monitor the morale and motivation of medical Reserves through the annual DMS Continuous Attitude Survey. This enables action plans and initiatives to be explored through the single Services and heads of cadre.

Department of Health

Foetal Alcohol Syndrome

Lord Boateng: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact of foetal alcohol spectrum disorders on the early years development of children, their behaviours and their life chances.

Lord O'Shaughnessy: It is recognised that Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) can have a significant impact on the early years development of children, their behaviours and their life chances. The Department has been exploring the feasibility of commissioning new research in the area of FASD. However, identifying methodologically feasible and robust new research in this area is challenging, expensive and faces ethical challenges. The World Health Organization is starting a global prevalence study on FASD, recognising that this information is lacking in many countries. There are a number of challenges on the feasibility of estimating prevalence, which should be addressed in this study. We welcome this study and will consider the lessons for further work in the United Kingdom.

Foetal Alcohol Syndrome

Lord Boateng: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what guidance they have developed for the treatment and support of children and young people affected by foetal alcohol spectrum disorders.

Lord Boateng: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the measures adopted in Scotland which provide guidance and support for children and young adults affected by foetal alcohol spectrum disorders.

Lord O'Shaughnessy: Early intervention services can help reduce some of the effects of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) and prevent some of the secondary disabilities that result. Responsibility for commissioning these services lies with clinical commissioning groups. The Department will consider the impact of the measures adopted in Scotland to support children and young adults affected by FASD and whether there are any lessons for England. The United Kingdom Chief Medical Officers’ low risk drinking guidelines provide the public with the latest information about the health risks of different levels and patterns of drinking. The guidelines enable people to make informed choices about their drinking.

Air Pollution

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the estimated cost to the NHS of medical problems caused by breaches of air pollution limits.

Lord O'Shaughnessy: Whilst there is already evidence of the impacts of air pollution on health, and ongoing work to quantify these impacts, the associated costs to the National Health Service and social care budget are less understood. Public Health England (PHE) has commissioned a consortium, led by the UK Health Forum, to carry out a project on the estimation of costs to the NHS and social care due to the health impacts of air pollution as part of PHE’s Health Economics Commissioning Framework. The aim is to enable air pollution to be assessed against other public health threats and to support the strategic priority setting process.

Department for International Trade

Exports

Lord Empey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how much they are spending per annum on the promotion of UK exports from 2016–17 until the end of this Parliament in 2020–21.

Lord Price: The Department for International Trade is made up of UK Export Finance (UKEF), International Trade and Investment (ITI), Trade Policy Group (TPG) and the GREAT campaign. UKEF is the UK’s Export Credits Guarantee Department and TPG is the trade policy and negotiating capacity. ITI focusses on increasing the value and volume of trade overseas, increasing Foreign Direct Investment into the UK, encouraging UK exporters to export and the promotion of British good and services overseas. The budget for ITI for 16/17 is £244,294,883. The budget for subsequent years will be published in due course.

Exports

Lord Empey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the Department for International Trade has any plans to change the ways in which they provide assistance to UK companies to encourage exports.

Lord Price: The Department keeps its assistance for exporters continually under review. In November 2015 the Government launched its Exporting is GREAT campaign. Our new digital platform launched last November will provide new and experienced exporters with a range of information and services through great.gov.uk and the department will continue to grow its digital support for businesses. Expanding our services for exporters on great.gov.uk allows DIT to offer more relevant advice helping more businesses expand into new markets. DIT is also looking at how it can change its regional delivery to reach more exporters and deliver more through digital channels.